That thing between us
by Angelica R
Summary: [Related to What happened when.] AU. 4x22. The thing is that, before all of this, before these strangers came, before all this mess began, there was something between them. But it wasn't love, it couldn't be. Or if it was, it never was able to last for a long time. Ruby/Snow. Evil Snow. CaptainCharming. Character Death. Not a happy ending.


That thing between us.

[Related to _What happened when_.] AU. 4x22. The thing is that, before all of this, before these strangers came, before all this mess began, there was something between them. But it wasn't love, it couldn't be. Or if it was, it never was able to last for a long time. Ruby/Snow. Evil Snow. CaptainCharming. Character Death. Not a happy ending.

 **Warnings : Graphic depictions of violence (torture). Non-con reference.**

 **This story is related to _What happened when,_ but you don't need to read this story to understand this one. Just imagine that it's an AU of the 4x21 episode (which is kind of an AU of the show…) **

The queen Snow White began to smile at the view just in front in of her. And by view, she meant her dear and lovely Ruby, in her form of werwolf, eating some nameless man, under the bright and full moon.

Oh, wait… the person in question was still alive.

That was something Snow White didn't expect, but when she discovered it, she began to laugh. A great, strong, and mostly terrible laugh. She approached the man, who was now screaming, and smiled to him.

A crazy smile, the man would have said, if the pain he was feeling hadn't been so great. He screamed, again, asking for mercy, having nothing but another smile from the terrible Evil Queen.

He tried to revolt against her, she remembered. And this time, she didn't want the punishment coming from herself, or from Charming, but her wonderful and lovely Ruby.

As it was the full moon, that was the occasion, no ?

And of course, her dear werewolf was enjoying it as much as she did. The spectacle the other woman – or at least, beast or animal, for now – was offering her was truly wonderful.

There was blood. Blood everywhere, coming from the half-dead man. A blood which was now on the ground, and that was now on Ruby also.

These women are crazy, thought the man, who was still alive, but not for a long time. They are enjoying themselves at killing a man, or seeing him being killed.

He tried not to scream again, as the wolf bite his leg, with no success, and again there is blood, too much blood that flows from him. There was terror in his eyes, and then, the queen took in face in her hand.

This man had been tortured by Ruby since the beginning of the night, under the eyes of the queen.

"So, now… I guess you won't revolt against me again..."

He looked at her in the eyes, and this time, he didn't shout because of the pain, biting his lip to stop himself from doing this.

He finally answered her, with difficulty.

"You… you crazy and bloodthirsty woman ! You know what ? I regret nothing ! And if I had to do it again, well…. I would.

Snow rolled her eyes, and smiled.

A wicked and twisted smile.

\- Wrong answer," she whispered to him. Then, she stand up, and get away from him. "Well… Ruby ?" She said to the wolf. "I guess it's time for dinner."

The wolf seemed to smile to her, and, seeing the ferocity in her eyes, the man began to be really afraid.

The second after, the animal was on him, eating him entirely, and in the end, killing him.

Snow smiled at the view, as she did before. That would be a good sign to send to the people, to _her_ people. That they shouldn't do anything against her, or it would cost them their lives.

Just as it happened with this man.

Oh, what was his name ?

She didn't really remember, and didn't care about it.

Well… that was something like… August.

 _§§§§_

When it finally ended, and that there were just bones on the ground, and blood, the queen decided that it was enough. They could do nothing on him, and even though Snow loved seeing Ruby enjoying herself by drinking human's blood, and eating human's flesh, now this situation was over.

As the man was dead and reduced to nothing, Snow knew that the _after_ was going to be great. She took Ruby's cloak, and a new smile appeared on her face, which would have terrified anyone who would have seen it.

Oh, yes. The cloak. Red as blood, stopping Ruby' transformation into a wolf.

And also not only red _as_ blood, but red _because_ of blood, as she wore it when they were on a battle, or when she killed people.

Yes, it didn't only happen when she was a wolf, as a human, she was as terrible as she had been during her transformations.

And that was why Snow adored her. Charming was (in some ways) forced by her to act cruelly. She ripped out his heart, so he would obey to her.

Maybe that there was a part of him that loved that. Being controlled, or even kill people, as she ordered him to do.

Or maybe not.

In fact, she didn't care.

And with Ruby, it was the contrary, as the other woman was just like her.

In fact, she kind of made her become that way, making her as wicked and evil as she was.

But that's another part of her story.

She looked at the cloak, again, and smelled at the scent of blood that was still on it, making an ecstatic sight and smile at the odor.

Oh by the magic, she really missed it, she hadn't done it – smelling the blood or kill someone – since what seemed to her as being days.

And then, she put the cloak on Ruby, and, seconds after, the woman was in front of her, standing up, smiling, not horrified by what she did, as she could have been years ago.

(Before Snow taught to her to see how good it could be and feel to release the beast inside her.)

"Tell me, your majesty, Ruby whispered with a strange and wild light in her eyes, how do I look ?

\- You look terrible", answered softly the queen with an almost tender smile.

And fascinated.

Because yeah, Ruby did look like someone terrible as that moment, with blood all over her body, her former white clothes – more than ironic here – now covered with blood. And that was not over.

Indeed, the thing is that there was also blood in almost all her face, covering her – according to Snow White herself – in a terribly sexy way.

And then, Ruby made her a bright smile, and Snow couldn't any more resist to it.

She approached her.

"May I ? She asked to Ruby, looking at the blood on her face, with hunger and thirst.

It was more an order than a question, and Ruby knew the taste of _her_ queen for blood, so she nodded.

Yes, what happened to the two of them after the murders was really, really enjoyable for them.

 _§§§§_

The queen was now really close to her, and Ruby really loved it. They were both smiling now, as the queen touched the werewolf's face with her hand, caressing it gently, more precisely touching the blood on her face.

And then, she kissed Ruby on her cheek, where there was blood, and she began to lick it and drink it, savoring the taste of blood in her mouth, and she moaned at the sensation.

Oh yeah, she missed it.

Just after, she finally kissed her dear Ruby on the lips, and as her friend replied to this, their night _truly_ began.

Both excited, they lay on the ground, just next to the rest of the other person they killed. Continuing to kiss, they began to undress each other, touching each other' body, and it was so good.

They finally broke the kiss, Snow's hand exploring Red's body which was under her, and the wolf began to moan. The two woman kissed again, and again, as Snow's hand was going in the direction of Red's tights, just as Red's hand was…

After their night together, they both came back at their home, and Snow smiled by seeing who was waiting for her.

Charming.

In her room.

Yes, her night was not over…

 _§§§§_

He hated it.

Truly, and completely.

But he had no other choice.

She had his heart in her hands, literally speaking and… it was terrible.

He _felt_ terrible.

Oh, that was the irony, he _couldn't_ feel.

He wanted to, but was unable to do it.

He didn't know how it worked, he wasn't good in magic, but he knew that he wasn't happy any more since she decided to take his heart.

Because she took his heart from him, and because he never wanted it to happen, and the thing is that it would have been much more easy if he did.

But he didn't, he tried to resist against her, and since this day, he had the impression that he was suffering more than he ever did. More than before he had his heart ripped out.

In fact, _that_ was the irony.

Don't feel doesn't mean that you can't suffer.

It was the night, a night where Snow decided to torture someone, and maybe kill him, he didn't know.

He didn't want to know.

He knew that everyone saw him as a monster, but it was not the case.

It was not who he was, or who he used to be. He had nothing to do with James, and by the way, nothing to do with Snow. David was not someone cruel, he hated everything that his… queen made him do.

But it was changing, and _that_ was one of the things he hated the most.

She was changing him, not in a good way. He wasn't someone good, you couldn't say that, that was why she chose him, but he never wanted to do evil things.

But as she was constantly playing with his heart, he didn't really know what he really wanted.

He could have given up, accept his destiny, accept the darkness.

But no.

Because it was the only way he found to resist against her.

Sometimes, he felt himself obliged to do things, even though she didn't order him to do it.

Just as he was doing now : going to _her_ room, in _her_ bed (yeah, they didn't have the same room, and he was happy they didn't), despite _his_ own desire.

(He didn't even know what he wanted ; everything was blurred in his head, and he was lost).

As he saw her smile, everything he wanted to do was to flee, right now…

 _§§§§_

The night had been both terrible and wonderful. In fact, it depends on what side you are.

Snow White was smiling.

David, had he have his heart at the right place, would have probably felt more hurt than he was in reality.

Living without a heart was painful, because _he didn't decide it_.

He wanted to kill her. Just that, and then, put his heart again in his chest, and just _feel_.

Only that.

And then ?

He had no idea, he didn't care.

It wouldn't happen, so, why would he think about it ?

He wasn't jealous of Snow's relationship with Ruby, at first because he couldn't, and especially because he wasn't in love with the queen.

He was relieved every time that the two women were together, because he wouldn't have to do anything with the queen.

And, little by little, he saw something appear. Ruby was falling in love with the queen.

He had been the only one to notice, even Ruby didn't seem to realize her true feelings, and Charming found this to be so ironic, again.

He and Snow couldn't or wouldn't feel anything, except hatred, anger, or cruelty, and love was something they didn't know since a long time.

The looks Ruby always send to the queen showed desire, and lust, it's true.

But there was also love, David could have swore he saw that.

And yes, he felt (in a way) sympathy for her, and pity. Even though he almost envied her, because she could still feel emotions, unlike him.

She was lucky not to see the truth that was in her.

The day she would realize would be terrible.

And him, the consort, the prince Charming, the _prisoner_ , was looking at all of this, with almost a smile on his lips.

He just wanted this to end.

So, this is why he left the castle this day, in order to something to distract himself from this situation.

And then, after walking for a time, not paying attention to his destination, he saw him.

A pirate.

Of course, he was no one, at least, no one important. He was not the captain of a ship. He was just… him.

As they were in a realm ruled by an evil and terrible woman, piracy wasn't really forbidden. And it could be encouraged if these pirates accepted to work for Snow White. A thing Blackbeard did. And so did, Killian Jones.

The one-handed man who shouldn't have mattered.

But who did.

At least, for Charming himself, in fact.

 _§§§§_

They shouldn't have met. They were both coming from two different worlds. It happened by chance, it's the truth. Charming didn't know why he decided to talk to him. And he didn't know either the reason why the pirate didn't run.

It just happened.

Their first kiss was kind of an accident. It was during a normal day, as normal as it could be in this strange and twisted world. They did it during a day where Snow decided to torture some people, just in order to have fun.

Because it was who she was.

And Charming, exhausted by her crimes, just wanted to do something, anything, in order to protest against her.

There was no love in it. Just despair.

It was just a way for the prince to prove to himself that he could do his own choice, that he wasn't entirely controlled by the Evil Queen.

He just wanted to prove to himself that he was free.

He didn't love the pirate, in fact he couldn't.

The relation he had now with the pirate had nothing to do with the one he had with Snow. Here, there was no love too, but at least, they weren't hypocritical, they didn't play game, as Snow did with him.

It was just a way for them to escape from this terrible, terrible world.

They had a relationship, kind of, in a way. They were together, but they didn't love each other.

The thing is that, just as Charming, Hook just didn't want to be alone.

That was why, after their first kiss, he accepted the prince's proposal.

They would still be alone, that's true, but they would be alone together.

Because, for the pirate, it was the first time he remembered where someone really _needed_ him, _wanted_ him.

And he didn't care who this person was.

He really didn't.

Just as Charming himself did.

 _§§§§_

Snow knew it, of course.

She understood it the day Charming came back to her just after his first night with the pirate.

Why ?

Because of his smile. It was too brilliant and couldn't be fake. And he wasn't smiling for her, obviously, she had no doubts about it.

She didn't care with who he was, it was his own business and he had the right to see other people than her.

Yes, he could sleep with other people than her.

She did it herself, and after all, he wasn't her True Love !

But, as weeks passed, she began to notice something, something strange, and unexpected.

The prince was becoming happy.

And she didn't like it, _oh_ _no_ !

She couldn't be happy any more (not with Regina alive, in fact), so, no one would be.

The prince couldn't feel, that was true. But maybe that the simple idea of having something on which the queen could have no control was enough to make him happy.

Well… fine.

It didn't matter.

She would destroy it, in the end.

 _§§§§_

He was nervous.

Who else wouldn't have been ? He was there, in the palace, a place he didn't know and which was not really a pleasant place.

The pirate was there, waiting.

And he wasn't the only one.

"Hello… I'm Ruby.

\- Killian Jones.

\- Oh ! The pirate ?

\- Yes."

And then, there is silence. She is looking at him.

"You're him, right ? She finally asked.

\- What ?

\- The prince's friend. Or, as I could call you with a term you may use, you're his mate."

The pirate blushed.

"Yes… I guess I am.

Ruby couldn't help, but smile.

\- You see, I'm just like you, I think. But, what you have with the prince, I have it… with the queen.

\- Oh… I get it."

The woman was still smiling, but now, it was a sad smile, full of sympathy, as if she understood something that the pirate didn't before.

And, with a tone full of curiosity, she asked :

"Do you love him ?

\- Wait… what ? No ! The pirate protested. Of course no. We have… a relationship, it's true, but we are not in love. I don't love him, right ? You would be wrong if you thought it.

Ruby continued to smile, with irony, this time.

\- You know, she said, pensive, I was like you, for a time, some years ago… I thought it wasn't love. I thought… that it was just a way for the two of us to have fun, and, also, for not feel alone. To have someone with who we could be, and care about. I was wrong.

\- I am not you, replied the pirate.

\- You think it. For now. But trust me… some day… we will realize it. That you made the greatest mistake in your life. That you're in love with someone who will never love you. Who cant.

\- What do you mean ? Killian asked, a little afraid. Oh please, he said, by seeing her smiling again, and being exhausted by it, stop smiling, and just answer my question.

\- There is something you don't know about the prince. Something a lot of people don't know, or, at least, don't want to see. The prince has no heart.

\- Metaphorically or physically speaking ?

\- The queen ripped out his heart some years ago, after her heart was broken by Prince's James death. Our prince was his twin, so… the queen just replaced her lost love by him.

\- And since this day, she controls him.

\- Yes. He can do almost nothing without her approval.

\- It must hurt him in a terrible way… I guess that's why he is with me, right ? Just in order to… do something against her.

\- I think so."

The pirate had a hurt look on his face, because even if he already knew the other man didn't love him, knowing that he had been chosen by the prince just to be… a distraction, or a way to fight against the queen's control was not really pleasant.

"I was right, added Ruby, her smile now almost happy. You love him.

\- Well… maybe, he said."

This time, he didn't contradict her.

 _§§§§_

"Tell me… do you really love him ?

Ruby's air was entirely serious now, and her smile was gone.

\- I told you, I'm… not really in love with him.

\- Right. I reformulate. Do you care enough for him ?

\- I guess I do, yes.

\- Enough to be ready to steal from the queen ?"

The pirate froze.

"You're crazy, aren't you ?

\- You're a pirate, no ?

\- Yes ? And I can steal things, that's true, but… _steal from the queen_ ? Are you mad ?

\- You can try.

\- Maybe, but… at first, steal what ?

This time, Ruby's smile was joyful.

\- Charming's heart, of course."

Killian looked at her with astonishment.

"WHAT ? He shouted.

The wolf grimaced.

\- Could you… I don't know… not scream ? I wouldn't want us to be heard.

\- You had to think about it before asking me to steal a _heart_ , the man, muttered to himself.

\- I am serious, right ?

Killian rolled his eyes.

\- I didn't say the contrary, but… I don't think it can work.

\- It can. I know where the queen's vault is, I know where the prince's heart is.

\- Why would you help us ?

\- For a simple reason… I love someone who has no heart. But, unlike you, the person I love is just a monster. I just want you to have what I can't have.

\- Why would I trust you ?

\- Just try…

 _§§§§_

Finally, it worked. For a time, in fact, but Hook didn't know it.

And, now, he was there, on his ship, with the prince. _His_ prince.

Who was pensive.

Since he met the pirate, things changed. Not everything, that's true, but some did.

In good, of course.

He "felt" like he was happier than before, as if he wasn't under the control of the queen any more.

As if he was free. But he wasn't. He never would.

 _They_ never would.

He sighed.

"What's wrong ?

\- Nothing, I… just… I wish we were free, the prince whispered.

The pirate just smiled.

He hadn't tell him. That he had his heart, in a box. That they could be free.

Not yet.

In fact, he didn't.

He showed him.

And, as the prince finally had his heart back in his chest, again, he felt something.

Hatred, against the queen, but he also internally thanked Ruby for her help.

And, of course, he felt something for the pirate.

It wasn't love.

Not yet.

Just gratitude.

And the, just after that, he kissed him, and smiled.

"Thank you, he whispered to him."

Now, they could leave. And things would be different.

They could be free, happy, and _together_.

Or maybe not.

Maybe that the queen would always be here.

 _§§§§_

When she saw it, the queen shouted, and yelled at Ruby for doing this. When she learned what happened, she made her choice, very quickly.

"Oh, Ruby… Ruby, she whispered to her lover. Why did you do that ?

\- So he would be free from you and your madness.

\- And you… why didn't you run away ?

\- Because I love you !"

Now, it was said, and they couldn't go back. Snow White smiled, with her own and particular evil smile.

"Love is weakness, darling. That's the reason why you'll never be free from me. You betrayed me ! But… I won't kill you.

\- Why ?

\- Because I want you to see it."

And, with horror, the woman saw the one she loved use her magic in order to make the two other men come back to the castle.

But, before they realized what was happening to them, they made them fall asleep.

And she gave a terrible smile to the other woman.

"And, don't worry… I won't kill them either…

\- You will do worst than that, right ?

The queen's smile became larger, and she approached the wolf, before kissing her. Ruby knew that she should have been disgusted by it, but she eagerly responded to the kiss, almost despite herself.

It was true. Despite her crimes, she couldn't stop herself from loving the queen.

It was the reason why she chose darkness.

It was as a curse, that a terrible sorcerer would have put on her.

\- You know me too well," Snow whispered and Ruby couldn't help, but shiver.

The queen approached them, and looked at how peaceful Charming seemed to be. Well, that wouldn't last for a long time.

Before Ruby was able to stop her, she put her hand in Charming's chest, and ripped out hi heart, again. She didn't miss the look of pain of the man's face, and Ruby almost shouted facing it.

They failed.

They completely and terribly failed.

 _I am sorry,_ she thought.

And then, there was nothing else, but Snow White's smile.

"My punishment will be it… When they will wake up, they will remember nothing about each other. And I will make sure that if Charming sees him again, he will hate him."

(Maybe that it was why it didn't hurt him when he killed him then.)

Ruby looked at her with horror. Oh, how cruel the queen was, and they both knew it.

But, they didn't know everything.

They thought that it was one of the most terrible act of cruelty of the queen.

They didn't know that, it may be the contrary : that it was the greatest act of mercy the queen ever made.

(As they wouldn't remember it in the real world.

Unlike Ruby and Snow, of course. Who would never talk about that.)


End file.
